Too many days trips - help me limit

If you’re looking for justification to cut out Neuschwanstein (which you did spell correctly!), it’s undergoing restoration until 2024, so you’ll see scaffolding and construction distractions inside, if you go this year. It also requires a guided tour, and no photographs are permitted. By skipping it, you’d also miss a day’s worth of the 1.4 million visitors that go each year.

It was Walt Disney’s inspiration for the Cinderella Castle at Disneyland. Have you been there, or to Disney World?

I'd have no qualms skipping Neuschwanstein. I'm like you: never been there, and it doesn't appeal!

Otherwise, Rothenburg is a bit far from Munich for a day trip, and it tends to be crowded with day trippers. I would consider Bamberg instead, which is faster to get to, equally pretty in my view (though different), and more of a real town. Regensburg is also an option.

If you’re not interested in Neuschwanstein, don’t go. It’s your trip you can do what you like.

I've been to Paris three times and have never seen Versailles as it never has had held any appeal. Don't feel bad about missing things you don't want to see.

In my opinion day trips from Munich to Rothenburg and Salzburg are a bit too far. Better to stay a night, especially in Salzburg.

Day trips to Gramisch/Fussen are a bit better.

Speaking of Walt Disney... construction on N'stein ended just 5 years before he was born (1901.) By skipping it, you miss out on a pretty unique but quite modern building, one with a plumbing system that includes auto-flush toilets, central heating, and an elevator. But clearly, you aren't missing out on a real castle. From Munich, a day trip to N'stein requires nearly 5 hours on public transport for its 30-min. tour. The other investments are substantial too - a $17 entrance fee + ticket reservations or long lines + a 40-minute uphill hike from the final bus stop. Perhaps the N'stein day-trip recommendations are the natural result of spending all this time, effort and money? Personally, I think anyone who really wants to see it should probably stay at least a night in the Füssen area and enjoy the area's other charms as well.

I also think the time required for the round trip to Rothenburg from Munich disqualifies it as a day trip. The shortest journeys that include high-speed trains require 5 hours round trip on 4 different trains. The regional train round-trip journeys take a minimum of 6.5 hours on 3 trains.

The round trip to Salzburg takes nearly 4 hours, quite a bit of time considering how much there is to see and do there.

Munich just isn't a good base town for these outings. I wonder how much interest you genuinely have in seeing Munich itself. Maybe you could arrange to spend 1-3 nights in TWO of those non-Munich places you hoped to visit, and either make Munich a STOPOVER, or maybe spend just one night there.

Do what you want to do with your trip. Don't feel obligated to see things others want you to see. See what you want to see.

I agree with the others that cutting Neuschwanstein is no great loss, and your life will be complete without seeing it.

Rothenburg is around 5 hours of train time round trip from Munich's main train station. That is a lot of train time for a day trip.

Castles were traditionally defensive fortifications which included palaces. Neuschwanstein was never anything but a palace built to look like a castle. I went because my teenaged daughter wanted to see it , but by far the best part of that experience was our stay in Fussen. It doesn't sound like Neuschwanstein is a priority for you, so skip it. I agree with Russ that you might want to reconsider your plans to stay in Munich. I have only transited through Munich, but have stayed in Salzburg, Rothenburg and Fussen and recommend all three . Rothenburg absolutely requires one night so you can do the Night Watchman's tour.

Trust your instincts.

Like others said, if the castle doesn't really interest you then it is the first to be cut.

I would nix Rothenburg too. At over three hours away with at least 2 changes you will spend more time on the train than in the town.

Unlike others, I think Salzburg is fine for a day trip but it is about at the distance limit of what I could consider for a day trip. At 1.5 hours away by train that is a lot of the day spend coming and going but the frequency of trains (every 30mins) gives you some flexibility for a good day trip.

One nice day trip is to head south into the foothills of the alps to Tegernsee.

DJ

Why would you spend 6 hours roundtrip going to Rothenburg? You're going in May but still, the best part of visiting Rothenburg is in the evening after the crowds have left anyway, IMO. Salzburg makes sense. Garmisch? Dachau?

I'd cut a day from Munich and do an overnight in Rothenburg. If you haven't been there, it's totally worthwhile.

Thanks everyone - I’m totally going to skip the castle then, just don’t care (and FYI for the person who skips Versailles, I’ve gone and was underwhelmed so for me, I could have skipped that too!)i know Rothenburg is long so I’ll think about it. I have actually been before, 25 years ago.I loved it and have such fond memories of it. I get Christmas ornaments whenever I travel and I want more fro the store there. My husband hasn’t been so it’s a sentimental idea, we’ll see.

Again, I’d add a night in Rothenburg. We loved the vibe at the Altfränkische Weinstube but it’s been forever since we stayed.

Lindsay, I enjoyed Rothenburg and really wanted to see it so I made it work. My cousin's husband is from there and he told me I should see it. My friend and I stayed in Munich for 3 nights, then rented a car, drove to Rothenburg and spent the night there, then drove down south (we actually passed Neuschwanstein and saw it in the distance but did not stop) and wound up in Salzburg for 2 nights, which I loved.

That being said, if you can't get Christmas ornaments in Rothenburg, there are Käthe Wohlfahrt shops all over, (including one near me in Stillwater, MN - the only one in the US). 😊 But there are quite a few in Germany - they have a shop in Berlin, Bamberg, Rüdesheim, Heidelberg, and two in Oberammergau.